‘Life’s a pilgrimage,’ he says.Give me strength, she thinks. Next, he’ll be using the ‘J’ word.‘We’re all on journey.’‘Like the X-Factor?’He is clearly irritated. ‘Give the cod philosophy a rest,’ she says. ‘Meaning?’‘We were discussing a weekend in Margate as opposed to one in Brighton.’

Chaucer had it right!I don’t know about Eliotreally not so cruelafter the doldrums of Marchthe snow and rain and mudthe heavy dark clothesone longs for light and brightfor new makeupfor a flowing flowered scarfa trip to the mall is a pilgrimage

We walked the last four miles from the bus stop. Sweaty and bedraggled from days on Greyhound, we hugged our guitars, hugged each other, and lay down weeping on the musician's steps. Until someone yelled out the window at us: "His house is across the street!"